Gary Edwards can measure the impact many of his farming decisions have on the environment. The corn and soybean farmer from Anamosa, Iowa, has spent the past 18 years fine-tuning management practices to improve his operation’s sustainability. Edwards contends any U.S. producer who wants to farm for the future will have to focus on sustainability to compete on a global scale.

“Every farmer needs to determine if they are farming for the day or farming for the future,” he says. “If you are farming for the future, then you need to look ...